Electric switch movement



; Fell-9,V 19312. GL "H. ELWELL ELECTRIC SWITCH MOVEMENT Filed aan. 1.8, 1928 `50 lproperly insulated therefrom, andthenonj` Patented Fea 9, '1932 e i i UNITED STATES PATE NT OFFICE N GEORGE HENRY oipvNEW IIAvEN, CONNECTICUT, `AssIerNon To THE GitIiIsT IIIANUFACTIIRINC` COMPANY, CFNEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A ConroItATIoN or ,e CONNECTICUT "i ELECTRIC SWITCH MOVEMENT "Appncation fired :ranaryia 11928.` seriainofmmo.

The invention relates toiniprovementsin electric switch movements, and more especially tosWit'ch movements for electric lamp sockets operated by pullchains, and the object is tolpiovide for a svvitcliof this character a positive snap action which is identically the saine for the opening as for the closing of the circuit,` e I e With this andotlier objects in View, as

l Will more `fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain features of novel construction and `arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated" in the. accomf panying drawings and particularly pointed out wherein patentablenovelty is claimed for certain features of the device, itbeing understood thatwvitliin the scope of what hereinafter thus is claimed yvarious changes in form, proportion, size, adaptability, `and minor details of theconstruction, canbe made Without departing from the spirit or modifying `any of the advantages of the invention.l e l The'following is y had `to the `accompanying drawings (one sheet) in Which Figure lfisan upright elevation of a portion of the device, Apartly in crossesection and taken at the line 1-117 of and breaking. `Thedevice is" ;`Inountable 4 upon asupporting base of insulation 24 andl comprises'tlie rockingshaft 1 having'lixed thereto the operating arm 2 from Which is suspended the pull-chain Sasafconvenient method of operatingthesvvitch movement, Y as illustrated by the Figure 1. r Mounted upon the shaft 1 arethe conductive disk :4,

4movement upon the shaft.

` the `desciriptionof an em- 2 bodiment of the invention,` reference-being conductive disk 5, together relatively rotatable thereon with` a limited laterally sliding The conductive disk 4 is perpherally provided with a ratchet formation `(Shaving abrupt shoulders ("'and also havingspaced laterallydisposed lugs 8 providing conductive shoulders `as illustrated by the `Figure 1. .The non-conductive disk is provided with similar lugs 9 Which are so bent around the periphery of the,

ratchet formed disk 4 at placesof mean diameter `that the disk 5 is tliereby'rotatably carried by the disk 4 and thelugs of both disks together provide alternately spaced conductive and non-conductive shoulders lyf ing in the same plane parallel Withthat of the disks" for a purpose to be explained, as il-` lustratedfby the Figures 1 and 2.1 Permanently engaging the ratchet periphery of the disk 4 isa conductive resilient paWl 10electrically `included Within the circuit, as illustrated -by the Figure 2, and adaptedtocooperate With the abrupt" shoulders T'to positivelyprevent anyforvvard rotatable Inovement of the united disks 4 and V5. The arm 2 is provided `With therigid catch member 11 e adapted to engage the adjacent one ofthe abrupt shoulders 7 t to backvvardlyrotate the united disks 4 and 5 one step under paWl 10. vAnchored "tothe conductive sleeve 12 and the sleeve of insulation 13, both of Which are fiXedly carried by the shaft `is` the conductive coiled spring 14` insulated from the shaft 2 and the disk 4 by means "of the sleeve of insulation 13 Vand the Washer of insulation 15, and having a f ree end ltladapted to engage behind the adjacent one of the shoulders 8 and 9` to there exert a forwardly tension.

The coiled spring 14 alsoffunctions as a com*4 pression Aspring to maintain "the united disks 4 and 5 snugly against arm 2, but permits these united disks to yieldralgainst the spring l tension when the rigidl catch is backed away from its engaging position behind one of the abrupt'slioulders 7 to engage the next for- Wardlylocated shoulder 7; Mounted upon the shaft 1 adjacenttlie arm 2 is al second coiledspring 17 having oneend fixed, asat 18, tothe base and the other end secured, as at 19,"to the arm 2 for the purpose of vproviding merely an automatic spring actuated return of the forwardly operated arm 2, the movement of the arm 2 being limited in both directions by the stops 2() and 21, illustrated by the Figure 1, which in connection with a electrielamp `socket might be proviced by the limits within a casing slot within which thearin may operate. u y Y Fromvthe foregoingldescription thewope'ration of the device will be' obvious. The arm 2 being operated forwardly'by means of a downward pull of the chain 3, the shaft lis rocked forwardly bodily carrying with it the conductive spring 14, thefreeend 16 of that spring being detained behind thev adjacent non-conductive shoulder 9 until the final limited movement of, the shaft 1 winds the spring 14 and thus shortens the free end 16 to an extent that causes itl to slip with a snap from beh-ind that shoulder and then lengthen out toY engage behind the next adjacent conductiveshoulder Suby which engagement the c circuit is closed. The next following pull of the chain 3 repeats the operation,V but causes the free end 16 to snap from behind the adjacent conductive shoulder to engage behind the next shoulder which is one of the nonconductive shoulders 49 bywhich engagement the circuit is opened. Vith each forward moveinentof the arm 2 the iigid catch member 11 by its cam action throws off laterally the united disks t and 5 suflicientxly for the rigid catch` member topass a section of the ratchet formation of the detained disk 4 to engage` the next forward abrupt shoulder 7, and with eachautomatic backward return of the arm 2 the rigid catch 11, thus interlocked with that abruptA shoulder ',7, carries therewith the united disks Z1 and 5 one step under pawl With a closed circuit the conductive line of electrical connection may be traced from the binding=screw 22 through the post, the conductive sleeve` 19 the sprinf 14, the spring end 16, one of the conductive'sioulders 8,- the conductive disk, the pawl 10, and to the binding-screw 23 through the post to which the pawl 10 is secured.v In connection with an electric lamp socket the device might retain the vbinding-post having the bindingscrewV 22, but the postv having the binding; screw 23 might have in place of the screw an electrical connection with `the usual screwshell or centercontact.

`What 1 claim is f 1. An electric switch movement comprising a rocker shaft adapted to be mounted upon a supporting base; two disks, one within the electrical circuit and insulated from the shaft upon which broth disks are relatively rotatable and movable in abackward direction only and together presenting alternately spaced conductive and noneconductive shoulders; a springmember anchored tothe shaft but insulated from the shaft and the conductive disk, the member extremity being adapted to exert a forward tension against the adj acent one of the shoulders; means adapted to rock the shaft, and hence the spring member, forwardly to cause the spring extremity to snap forwardly from one to the next of the shoulders to close or open the circuit, and means carried by said rocking means to carry the disks backwardly one step upon the backward movement of the shaft.

2'. An electricv switchnioveinent comprising a rocker shaft adapted to be mounted upon a supporting base; two disks, one insulated from the shaft and both relatively rotatable upon the shaft and .together presenting alternately spaced conductive and non-conductive shoulders; a spring member within the electrical circuit and carried upon the shaft but insulated from the shaft and the conductive disk, its free end adapted to exert a forward tension against the adjacent one of the shoulders; conducting means in electrical connection with the conductive shoulders and adapted to positively prevent the forward movement of the disks; manual operating means adapted to rock the shaft forwardly to cause the spring en d yto snap forwardly from one to the next of the shoulders to close or open the circuit; and means carried by the operating means to4 vmove the disks backu'fardly one step upon the backward movement of the shaft. Y

- 3. An electric switch movement comprising a rocker shaft Aa'daiite'd to be mounted upon supportingfbase and having a fixed operating arm; two spring members mounted sx upon the shaft, one end of one spring being adapted to be fixed to abase and therother spring being within the electrical circuit and bodily carried by .but insulated from the shaft,

and the freeendspof both springsexerting opposing backward'and forward tension, respectively, upon the arm and upon rotatable disks, both relatively movable upon but one insulated froml the shaft and togethcrpresenting alternately spaced conductive and non-conductive engagingshoulders; conducting means `permanently in Velectrical connection with the conductive disk and adapted to positively prevent anyk forward movement thereof; and a connection between the arm 1' and the disks adapting the arm to carry the disks backwardly, the operating arm having limited movement for rocking the shaft and thereby causing the shoulder-engaging end of the bodily carried spring member to snap forwardly from one to the next of the engaging shoulders to close or open the circuit, the return movement of the operating arm being lurged bythe backwardly exerted spring tensionvto automatically carry the disks backwardly one step.

' 4:. An electric switch movement comprising a rocker-shaft adapted to be mounted uponasupportingbase of insulation and hav- Ten ing a fixed operating arm; a. conductive disk Ulf-:0

relatively rotatable upon but insulated from the shaft and having peripheral ratchet formation and laterally disposed spaced shoulders; a non-conductive disk mounted upon the shaft and carried by the conductive disk by means of shoulders extending from the former around the latter at places of mean diameter and thereby maintained in the same plane parallel to the disks as that of the conductve shoulders, the disks together presenting alternately spaced conductive and nonconductive shoulders; two sprin members mounted on the shaft, one on eit er side of the disks and the arm, one end of one spring being adapted to he fixed toa base and the other spring being conductive Within the electrcal circuit and anchored to the shaft but insulated from theshaft and the conductive disk, the free endsof both springs exerting opposing backward and forwardV tension, respectively, upon the arm and upon the adjacent one of the shoulders; a resilient conducting means permanently in electrical connection with the ratchet formation of the conductive disk and adapted to positively prevent any forward movement thereof; and a rigid catch member provided by the arm and adapted to engage the ratchet to rotate the disks backwardly one step, the forward movement of the arm causing the shoulder-engaging end of the conductive spring to snap forwardly from its retardedposition behind one to the next of the engaging shoulders to close or open the circuit. i

GEORGE HENRY ELWELL. 

